Ascension
by LadyRudo
Summary: Vincent and Aria re-enter Gaia's urban jungle as they investigate the disturbances surrounding the ruins of Shinra's former Headquarters. What they discover will shake their foundations and place unexpected strains on the ties that bind, forcing them to turn to old friends for the strength to endure the horrors that have been growing beneath Midgar. (Follows Parallel Paths, S.O.H.)
1. An Absence of Sleep

_"What shall I bless you with, friend?" she asked, gently placing a hand on each of his shoulders._

_Unaccustomed to the touch, he struggled to keep from pulling away. "Survival."_

_"Wise. Then, Vincent, I bless you with the gift of survival."_

_._

Little affected the solid atmosphere of Cosmo Canyon. The constant rotation of new, studious faces had ceased years ago. Its current inhabitants had readily accepted a life of simplicity, happily relying on the planet to provide for them. In return, they cared immensely for the ground on which they lived. People tended to themselves, and often left others in peace, as peace served as the main goal for most of the natives. They cherished quietude and reflection as the purest paths to inner tranquility. Yet, one never felt overlooked when on that red plateau. The village had a way of making one feel protected without ever hearing another's voice. It did not need to ask what had brought its visitors. It had a way of simply knowing. And it knew why one man sat alone, staring into its legendary fire, a small black box in hand. He had come for peace of his own, and hoped that the same would be found for his counterpart.

Attaining peace meant quieting voices in memories that still haunted him. The woman he had left sleeping alone had silenced them not long ago, lifting the familiar weight from his chest. She had led him across the globe in the last two years, enlisting him to aid in evading Shinra as they hunted down a rogue Officer, then engaging the company in handing over what remained of Jenova. She had tied him to her, igniting a passion once thought long dead, and then forced him to abandon her to fight the Remnants. He had felt a darkness nearly overtake him as he mourned her, and allowed himself to release her into the lifestream. And he reassembled his beliefs when she sauntered back into his life, a phoenix from its ashes.

As the pair had settled into a life of regularity, the ethereal sounds of another's voice returned. They came softly, slowly at first, then increased in intensity until he slept only two hours at a time. Soon, images long burned into his mind accompanied them, leaving him to stare blankly out at the cityscape of Edge until he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. She had a way of bringing him back to reality, but the process had grown more challenging. Violet eyes tried to hide a sad understanding of his distant stares, but he saw easily through the facade, eventually finding her in occasional trances of her own. The pair maneuvered conversations around the lapses. She found an easy distraction in the black box.

He remembered the day with crystal clarity. The apartment was quieter than usual when he walked in. A package had been delivered for him, and sat, unopened on the kitchen counter. It was a new pair of black leather gloves. Aria had teased him for not shopping in public, and quickly received a lesson on the importance of customization in such accessories.

"One cannot assume an item designed for the masses will fit perfectly on anyone."

"So you order them by...finger length?" she teased.

"The manufacturer does not sell in Edge," he had replied, attempting to shut down the topic. She had had one more jab left.

"Couldn't save money by just ordering...one?"

The silence that followed built tension, until he finally answered, "I've tried. It's not an option."

He remembered her laugh, and grinned himself. It faded as his mind backtracked to the original memory.

The apartment was filled with fresh air, a light breeze coming from the opened balcony door. He stepped toward it and stopped, watching Aria discover his stowed belongings. He grinned and shook his head at her curiosity, then left for the bedroom to change clothes. When he returned, she had opened the bottom compartment of the accessories case and now stood, frozen on the balcony. Had she left the white cape where it lay, he would have watched her try on his battle equipment all afternoon. But she did not. Instead, his eyes flashed wide as they fell upon the black box in her palm.

"Careful, Pandora."

Only when he finally blinked, did Vincent realize he had been staring into the Cosmo Flame for too long. His eyes burned as he held them shut. A face far softer than Aria's appeared, as it so often did, and he shook it away.

"Will you return to Midgar? To the ruins?" a comforting, familiar voice asked. Nanaki approached his side and sat, staring into the fire.

Vincent nodded once, his answer not one with which he was pleased.

"What do you think you will find?" Nanaki pressed. "Or perhaps I should ask, what do you hope to find?"

"Those questions do not warrant the same answer. I hope to find nothing. I hope to find all access to the headquarters blocked, and the building completely unoccupied." He paused, reflecting on a news broadcast he had heard earlier. The sixth in a series of disappearances took place at the former Shinra Headquarters in the remains of Midgar. According to one military search and rescue team member, civilians have been drawn to the condemned structure by abnormal sounds that seem to emanate from the building.

"But?" asked Nanaki, waiting for the man's prediction.

"But...I fear it will not be that easy."

Nanaki dropped his head slightly. "I can understand any resentment you may have for me. My words have led Aria to connect her sister's disappearance with Project G. And now you are pulled right back into Shinra's shadow."

Vincent shook his head and faced Nanaki. "Do not apologize. You have given her hope."

"Yes. But often, hope is the heaviest weight to bear."

An absence of sleep had led him to the fire, where he spent the remainder of the evening staring into the flames and watching faces of the past stare back at him. The sun rose lazily from beyond the canyon walls, lighting the village one structure at a time. He did not know that, as it poured into the room he had abandoned at the inn, it fell upon lavender eyes that had also stared the whole night through, mourning the loss of simplicity.

.

The door creaked timidly under a brassy hand. When he entered the silent room, his shoulders relaxed, only to tense again under Aria's unexpected gaze.

"You're up early," he noted, closing the door behind him.

She nodded, pushing herself slowly up on the bed. "Thinking."

He nodded once in understanding and sat on the far edge of the bed.

"I want to go to the old HQ. I want to know what's going on, why people are going missing. Regardless of my...family history...I think this needs to be brought directly to Rufus. He should have people patrolling, investigating, and he doesn't."

"It's likely they believe it's just a gang..."

"Like a gang of, say, terrorists? Gosh, that can't possibly be a threat, right?" she asked jokingly. He raised his eyebrows and conceded the point. She continued. "A little research can't hurt. Maybe...maybe that Restrictor guy was a nut. Someone who, I don't know, worked for the company once, knew who I was..." she trailed. He picked up for her.

"Maybe not."

She rubbed her eyes, and through that gesture, he noticed the slight slump of her shoulders, as if they carried a fresh weight. The unspoken agreement to cut the trip had already been made, but they both dragged their feet upon leaving the warm village. A handful of goodbyes prolonged the process minimally, and before long, the pair were crossing into Edge. The city did not welcome them home. A rare Spring downpour had slowed traffic in the area, and by the time they crossed the threshold of their flat, each had grown exhausted and agitated. The tension was relieved slightly by the appearance of a long garment bag draped across the dining table.

Dripping with rain, Aria looked to Vincent, who shook his head. She dropped her own bag to the floor and approached the table, running her fingers along the gold piping on the bag.

"This is a Garatzo bag."

The information did nothing to dispel Vincent's concern. The name was not familiar. As recognition settled in, Aria's shoulders dropped in relief.

"Reno. The Spring Gala. We agreed to go."

"You agreed to go," he corrected.

"Yes, I did." She unzipped the bag and pushed the black fabric apart, revealing a slender, floor-length gown made of black silk. Emerald accents streaked across the length of the dress, similar to the original color of her old motorcycle. The comparison made her grin.

"It's an opportunity to talk to...some old friends. Maybe rebuild some bridges, should we need them."

"At what cost?" Vincent questioned, his skepticism lingering in the air long after he left the room.

In under a minute, the master suite's shower was warming while Vincent peeled off his own wet clothing. Upon stepping into the water, his shoulders dropped in relaxation. He breathed deeply as the smell of city air left his hair for the drain, and relaxed into the cool tile wall, eyes closed in a rare, blissful thoughtlessness.

As he sank further into the soft darkness, the muscles in his lower back began to tense. Straightening his spine, he turned his back to the hot water, expecting the tension to ease. Instead, it slowly spread upward, the dull ache growing in intensity as it crept upward like vines, locking him into place. The familiarity of the ache send a wave of panic through him as he fought for control of his muscles. As he opened his eyes, his vision blurred, then gave way to a pure whiteness, blinding him.

The swing of the door pulled him back to reality, red eyes flashing open in hyperconsciousness. The scenery had changed from the shower wall to the seam of the wall's connection with the tub. The heat of the water told him he had not been out long.

"Did you just fall?"

Aria's voice contained both concern and amusement. He used the latter to his advantage.

"A less-than-graceful seating."

"Oh. A controlled fall."

"Yes."

"In the shower."

"Yes."

"Are you hurt?"

Yes. "No."

A single laugh signaled her departure, and the door closed behind her. He slid upright, hugging his knees into his chest, taking a series of deep breaths. The trip to Cosmo had not resulted in the rest he was hoping for, and this, he figured, was the price of exhaustion. The thought was not one of conclusion, but he settled for it.


	2. Haunting

Two days later, the rubbled streets of Midgar admitted two new visitors. The morning fog had lifted, resulting in an uncomfortably clear display of abandoned destruction. Cracked roads carelessly supported fractured buildings that no longer committed to reaching upward, but instead leaned upon one another. The damage had proved minimal at the city's outskirts, but intensified with each step toward the center.

Without speaking, the travelers had chosen a well-traveled, familiar street to take them to the former Shinra building. Neither knew why they had chosen the street until they simultaneously slowed to a stop to look at one destroyed building in particular.

"Of all the places we could have gone that night," she quietly mused, running her finger along a cracked window frame. Vincent nodded. "You put a gun in my face," she recalled.

"I thought you threatening," he replied. She faced him, arching an eyebrow in pride. He added, "I was right."

"Oh, what would have done with yourself had you not met me?" she teased, continuing the walk, and leaving the bones of Grey Haus behind. She took his silence for agreement.

Only a few minutes later, they turned a corner a stopped. At the end of the wide street stood the former Shinra Headquarters, now a battered ghost of old glory. The lower towers leaned at precarious angles, metal beams protruding as battle scars. Still pointing toward the distant sea, the Sister Ray waited for an opponent that did not come. As Vincent took several steps toward the far side entrance, Aria knelt, filling her palm with bits of the rubble that surrounded the structure. A chill rushed down her spine as she inspected an unexpected souvenir in her hand.

"Even still, it makes you feel so small," she confessed, standing and turning her gaze upward. "A persistent reminder of where you stand."

Vincent stopped and turned back in time to see her hand close on a small black object as dust fell from between her fingers. "Do you still think so?" Vincent asked, considering the current state of the company as it scrambled for good press and a revitalized image.

"Hmm...I'll let you know after the Gala." As she looked back at him, he nodded toward the far edge of the compound. Following his gaze, she found a pair of guards standing outside a maintenance access. They stared the pair down as they approached, clearly eyeing the weapons each carried. Aria raised her hands in a gesture of harmlessness and noticed visible relief in their tense bodies.

"Something happening in there?"

"Can I help you?" the larger guard asked simultaneously. Vincent hung back and watched as Aria smiled, and with a tilt of her head, slipped into a version of her former self.

"We've been sent down to check out," she trailed, waving her hand at the ruins behind him, "this whole...situation."

"I didn't hear about this. Who sent you?"

"My boss. Who sent you?" she shot back. He rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess. Your boss is Mr. Shinra. Yeah, I've heard it before, lady."

"What, are you a Calypso bouncer?" The insult pulled Vincent's eyes from the silent guard to his suddenly-volatile partner. She reached for an inner pocket on her military jacket, causing the guards to half raise their rifles.

"Oh, give it a rest," she chided, pulling out a black leather billfold. Smoothly, she flashed a white badge that elicited a smirk from Vincent.

"Well, why didn't anyone call to let me know you were coming?" the guard asked, lowering his weapon. "No one's been in there since the crew disappeared. Two weeks now...we've heard some pretty awful stuff, but we were told not to go inside."

"That crew...what do you know about them?" she asked, eyeing the large metal doors behind him. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I don't know...an investigation crew, probably not heavily armed, if armed at all. And the TV crew, a reporter and two tech guys, I guess. Around forty people all together. They thought the disappearances were related to the building, people sticking their noses where they shouldn't, gettin' lost in the ruins, but apparently, the entrances were still sealed to civilians. I mean, sure, they could climb in somehow, but..."

"But?" she pressed. He exhaled heavily.

"But it just seems more...I don't know, more dangerous than that. Like there's a bigger threat than an interesting building."

"Is that normal?" Vincent asked, nodding toward the door. The guards turned to look and found a low black fog slipping through the cracked door in thin wisps.

"Good Gaia...no, that's not a regular occurrence," the spokesguard admitted. "What the hell is that?" he asked, taking a few steps forward as Aria and Vincent took several back. They glanced at one another before watching the guard approach the black fog. As soon as the silent guard shook his head in anxiety, the wisps grew and wrapped around his partner's legs, pulling him, screaming, to the ground. Aria lunged forward, then jerked back as Vincent grabbed her shoulder. The fog spiraled upward, surrounding his waist, quickly sinking him into complete darkness. The agonized howls quieted, leaving heavy silence in their wake.

"What the hell?" his partner finally screamed, running backward, unable to look away. The fog extended again, as if reaching for another victim. The remaining guard abandoned his post before Aria could even notice. Instead, she stood transfixed by the growing cloud.

"Do you smell it? Metal, oil. A machine? What's doing this?" she wondered aloud. "Where did he go?"

"Do you plan to follow him?" Vincent asked, pulling again at her shoulder. The fog lurched forward violently, causing the pair to instinctively turn and run. As they approached the end of the block, Aria started to turn her head, asking, "Is it following us?" She tripped with the motion, quickly catching herself and facing forward in her run.

"Not interested," Vincent replied. She turned again, and let out a sharp string of curses.

"It is! It definitely is!"

Just as Vincent increased his speed he heard the thud and scrape of a body hitting the ground.

"Aria!" he shouted, reaching for her. The fog encircled her torso, wrapping a thin wisp around her neck before Vincent tore her away. As he did so, the blackness evaporated, disappearing instantaneously. They watched thin air as they caught their breath, waiting for another threat. The dead city remained quiet. Finally, he looked down at her, eyes widening slightly at the sight of a dark gray mark across her neck.

"It left a calling card," he remarked. She touched her neck and shrugged.

"Doesn't hurt. I'm fine." She stood, taking a long look back at the building that had produced the fog. "Forty people? Why hasn't anyone said anything?"

"Trying to maintain the sense of calm about Edge right now. If people knew about a threat like this, so soon after last year...They will wonder what Shinra is doing to protect them, if anything. Riots, demands for an army, the rebirth of SOLDIER, or worse, a mass development of mercenaries flooding their new city, an overwhelming lawlessness..." When he finally finished the thought, he was surprised to find Aria staring at him with raised eyebrows.

"Kind of spiraled out of control there, huh?" she quipped with a grin. He shrugged; she laughed. Her smile faded as she looked back into the city. "It seemed animate, didn't it? It followed after us; it knew when it had a hold..."

He nodded, wishing he could at least offer speculation.

"Think Reeve knows anything about this?" she asked, finally turning to leave the city. He followed, nodding.

"Perhaps. He has a way with intel."

"Well, you get in touch with him. I want to go in there," she announced, referring to the previously sealed, no longer guarded entrance. "But I want support. Someone sent that thing out here. Someone is making those noises everyone is talking about."

"And you plan to find support...?"

"Find? No. I will doubtlessly have to grovel. I will be reduced, accused of 'crawling back,' degraded, the whole messy bit. I plan to do it at the Gala." Determination seemed to overpower any anger at her impending position. He admired the absence of irritation in her voice.

"You expect support from Shinra? How interesting."

"That's one word for it."

.

Eight hours later, Vincent lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Aria approached from the bathroom, hair still damp from a long shower. Only as she climbed into the bed beside him did he finally turn to look at her.

It's still there, he wanted to say, but did not. He knew she was aware of the mark left on her neck.

"You and Nanaki said something about Project G. I haven't completely committed to my search, but when I do...what will I find?"

His response came easily enough. "Nothing with which you are not already familiar. Experimentation with Jenova cells. An attempt to make the perfect SOLDIER. Loss of life."

She noticed a darkness rush into his eyes and turned away, looking upward, and running her fingertips over the marking on her neck. She did not notice his head tilt slightly toward her, nor the warm eyes that watched her drift away.

A longing to pull her into his chest lost out to a dull ache wrapping around his upper left arm. Instead, he fixed on her tired violet eyes as they stared into fascinating nothingness on the ceiling and briefly wondered where she went in those quiet, distant moments. He wondered if she followed her mind backward, as he so often did, and who she saw when she went. His own visions lacked variety, but pulled him in with the same ferocity. He straightened his neck and looked upward.

As it tended to do, the ceiling crystallized, a glimmering series of clear stones encasing an ethereal form, warm auburn hair that would never ride another breeze, warm brown eyes that would not open, and yet transfixed him all the same. The figure floated gently downward, freeing itself from its encasement to lie beside him. In the heavy silence, he indulged in a hollowness that he assumed his own. Aria could not see the angelic, ghostly arm wrapped around Vincent's chest, nearly crushing him beneath it. But then, he did not see the silver hair wrapping around her throat as it nearly choked the life from her.

.

The morning of the gala arrived, and Vincent awoke alone. The aroma of coffee filled the apartment, the result of an unbreakable morning routine. Even when she did not drink it, Aria made coffee. When asked about the habit, she once attributed it to gratitude for normalcy. A routine as innocent as brewing coffee meant life was simple, and simplicity was a valued commodity.

As he stepped out into the living room, brushing wild hair from his face, he expected to find her balled up on the sofa with a newspaper or PDA. Instead, he was met with a hurriedly-scribbled note: _Getting Reno's dress pressed. Feeling crazy-maybe a manicure. Nice day-get out for a while. & when did you start sleeping in? -A_ He asked himself the same question as he looked out the glass doors that led to the balcony. The sun was already higher than the city's skyline.

The coffee sent an uncomfortable twinge through his jaw that he still found amusing: Aria's coffee could power her motorcycle. _Get out for a while._ He considered visiting Seventh Heaven, and yet could not bring himself to endure the often-relentless questioning of Tifa, Marlene, and their newest charge, Denzel. Immediately, he felt guilty for the thought: they had offered him friendship and security in this new world, and he instinctively rejected their warmth for selfish pursuits of silence. Staring into the blackness of his coffee, he decided that he would pay them a visit soon...but not on this day. Another destination crept into the back of his mind, slowly meandering upward in his consciousness like a ribbon of smoke.

A quick glance at the clock confirmed that he would never make it to his destination and back in time to see Aria off to the gala. He regretted missing the chance to wish her well and see her in formal attire. She had claimed to "clean up well." He believed her. He also believed that she would understand his desire to leave the city on his own for a day. Within the hour, a crimson flash exited the city limits, powered by a deep engine of a heavy motorcycle.

Clouds had rolled into the Nibel area by the time he arrived, inspiring him to park the bike just inside the entrance, out of any impending rain. The cave welcomed him with the same cool breath that lingered in his memory. His chest tightened slightly with each step he took inward until he stood inches from the crystals, eye fixed on the woman within. Absentmindedly, he reached out to touch the casing, retracting his arm at the sound of a metallic scrape as if he had been burned. Red eyes stared scornfully down at the offending appendage, an unexpected knot rising in his throat. He swallowed it down and stared back into the crystals.

"Why are you haunting me?" he asked in a low whisper, lowering himself to the cool ground.


	3. Shinra Revisited

The day passed quickly in Edge, leaving Aria to rush from the bedroom to the front door in a strapless bra and back thigh-high panty hose.

"You're early," she groaned through the door.

"I guess I was just too excited for this little reunion," a playful voice shot back. "At least let me in."

The door audibly unlocked and Reno pushed it open. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of her slipping back into the bedroom.

"I see you've made some adjustments to the dress. I like it!" he called after her. Her hand reached out from behind the door to gesture rudely back at him. He laughed. "My excitement is nothing compared to the host's, though. I'm sure you can imagine what this week has been like." He leaned against the back of the couch, looking around the living room and kitchen for signs of life. "Where's Valentine?"

For this answer, she stepped back out into the doorway.

"I have no idea. I left him a note saying to take a walk or something today. He's been gone since I got back an hour ago, and..." she shrugged, shook her head, and waved her arm at the emptiness of the apartment simultaneously. "I could handle a less enigmatic disposition sometimes."

"Gaia, the guy slept in a coffin for thirty years. Enigma is likely his middle name. Who cares? I doubt he contributes much to a party. You'll be fine without him; it'll be like old times."

She rolled her eyes and disappeared again.

"You got any Cosmo Nectar? I have an awfully thirsty flask..." he called out, already opening her refrigerator. Only as he finished filling his stainless flask did she finally exit the bedroom, fully dressed. He set the bottle down and grinned.

"There she is."

"Your jacket is...pressed. And is that a...a tie?" she teased. "Does it hurt? Can you breathe?"

His own appearance had certainly changed for the occasion. They spent a long moment staring at each other in a silence that was half-mocking and half-genuine awe. His eyes narrowed on her neck.

"What happened here?" he asked, gesturing to his own neck, then taking a swig from the neon orange liqueur. She bit her bottom lip quickly, then sidestepped the question.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later. We should get going."

He paused, unsatisfied with the answer, but followed her to the door, helping her with a black jacket. As she stepped out into the hallway, he quickly grabbed the bottle from the kitchen counter and tucked it into his jacket.

"I'm bringing this," he said unapologetically

"Of course you are."

As the construction of Shinra's new headquarters had yet to finish, the gala was held at a new hotel on the northern edge of the city. The front of building was lined with photographers, guests, and civilians hoping to catch a glimpse of the head of Shinra Inc, who had withdrawn from the public eye two years before. Limousines lined the street in front of the massive building, depositing streams of the wealthiest of Edge's businessmen and women. Tseng stood at the head of a line of Soldiers near the entrance, sending an overt message about the event's security. Aria leaned back in her seat upon laying her eyes on his impressive display.

"What?" Reno prodded, noticing the color drain from her face.

She shook her head. "I think I just realized what a stupid idea this is."

"Are you kidding? You were invited," he reminded her. She arched an eyebrow and reached for the orange bottle in his hand. "I mean, you weren't expected to come alone...but, that's alright."

She swallowed hard and lowered the bottle, looking out the tinted window again. "Vincent is so much smarter than me. It's official."

"Oh, please. If we held a grudge against everyone who has attacked us, we wouldn't be able to have these parties at all, would we?"

The truth in the question made her laugh.

Minutes later, they approached the entrance under the watchful eye of Tseng and his line of Soliders. While Reno talked effortlessly with the crowds of people near the door, Aria kept her head down, eyes glued to one unremarkable spot on her diamond bracelet. Vincent had given her the accessory weeks ago, for what seemed like no reason at all. She doubted he intended for her to wear it on this occasion, but she was glad to have it to stare at all the same.

Soon enough, Reno was talking into Tseng's ear, while Tseng's gaze cut Aria like knives. He nodded only once, and Reno pulled Aria into the building, out of the flash of photographers and the frenzy of enthused civilians. They walked past the traditional photographer's station, where guests stood against a navy backdrop and forced wide smiles for the press. Despite the new location of the Gala, she did not need Reno's guidance. Her years of working similar events left her to navigate the space with ease, checking her jacket quickly, and finding her assigned place at a white table. She stiffened only slightly at the name on her place card: _Ms. Penelope Marx_. She picked it up as she sat down, turning it toward Reno.

"I think I'm having an identity crisis."

He laughed, taking the card from her to examine it. "So you are. Maybe it was intentional. A reminder of where you come from."

"Nostalgic bullshit." She plucked the card from his hand and placed it back on the table. As she did so, her eyes caught the name on the card to her left. "You couldn't have thought he would actually come," she said, nodding toward the small white symbol of absence.

"I thought maybe working for the WRO, he would have some interest in this event."

She nodded in feigned illumination. With that, Reno bid a quick farewell and disappeared into the crowd to meet with his colleagues. Aria sat alone at her table, inspecting the ballroom for exits, balconies, rest rooms, and anterooms. As she formed a mental map of the space, dinner was announced, and guests made their way to the tables. Her own filled quickly with Shinra employees from the accounting department. She grinned inwardly at the message her placement sent, how far she had fallen. The grin fell when long arm reached into her field of vision and turned down the small card reading_ Mr. Vincent Valentine_.

Tseng slid into the chair beside her and smiled slightly at the guests staring at him from the rest of the table. He addressed Aria lowly.

"You're alone."

"You're astute."

His eyes met hers in a warning she had seen him give Reno more than once, and briefly, she wondered if the redhead had rubbed off on her, or vice versa.

"Why are you here?" he asked, still feigning a smile.

"I was invited. A sign of solidarity, appreciation for my help."

"Help?"

Her eyes narrowed. "With your little Jenova crisis. Or have you forgotten your trip to the northern crater?" she asked sharply.

"What I have not forgotten is the loss of twenty Shinra employees, before you decided to 'help.'"

Through a strained smile, she shot back, "Then you must remember putting a bullet through each of my family members."

"I do." The bold admission stunned her into breaking eye contact. She watched her untouched glass of champagne as he continued. "I so vividly remember making an island of you. And if you have any plans for lashing out at the company again, do not fool yourself into believing I won't repeat the gesture."

She nodded in understanding, but raked his nerves with a genuine smile of her own.

"My new friends fight back."

With a single nod, he stood, delicately picking up the white name card and arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, I can see just how supportive they are." He dropped the card in her lap as he passed behind her, abandoning her to a table of strangers.

Aria ate little of her meal, and chose instead to watch her former colleagues work the room. The dinner lasted far too long for her impatient nerves as city planners gave eloquent speeches about the progress of Edge, thanking Shinra Inc. more times than she could count. Glasses raised in dramatic toasts, all to a man she could not seem to find within the room. Only after music began playing and bodies began to fill the open floorspace of the ballroom did she leave her seat, a frustrated scowl coloring her features. Ever so casually, she began to prowl the perimeter of the room, testing every doorknob she came to behind her back, hoping for an unlocked entrance into a stairwell. As she made her rounds, her eyes naturally scanned the room for Turks, of whom she found none. Their absence inspired tension in her neck.

Eventually, in the darkened, far back corner of the massive room, a door gave way to her testing hands. With a final quick glance over her shoulder, she slipped into the dark stairwell. Gripping the handrail for her bearings, she approached the second floor, slipping off her shoes midway for silence. She leaned against the second floor entrance, listening for voices or footsteps, and found none. After a brief pause, she slowly and silently pushed the door open just wide enough to slip through into the abandoned hallway.

A door at the front end of the hall caught her eye, its golden knob bouncing dim light down the corridor as it slowly swung open. Two men stepped into the hallway in dark suits. Aria's jaw clenched as she braced herself for confrontation. To her surprise, the men turned away from her, taking only a few steps up the hallway, and disappearing into an elevator.

"Lazy asses," she muttered, now safe to approach the door whence they came.

The room behind the door was quiet. As she pressed her ear against the heavy wood, only a quieter version of the music playing downstairs passed through. A single deep breath gave her the resolve to turn the knob.

"Hello, Guardian."

The conference room had been transformed into a luxurious box seat from which to watch the gala happening one floor below. A large, two-way mirror made up an entire wall, overlooking the grand ballroom. Red, plush furniture filled the floor. Gold, overhead fixtures covered the gray carpet in small pools of dim light. In the middle of the room, in a large leather chair, sat Rufus Shinra, an eyebrow cocked at his visitor.

They stared at one another for a long moment, each suppressing the wild arrays of emotion elicited by the other. Years of history flooded the room, and they knew they could not pretend to be strangers if they tried.

"It's been a while," she finally noted. He nodded once, then extended his hand toward the sofa opposite his chair. She crossed the room cautiously, scanning every corner once before finally taking a seat.

"Still not accustomed to heels?" he asked, noting the pair of shoes still hanging from her fingers. She grinned and dropped them to the floor, slipping her feet back in.

"I wasn't sure how easy it would be to get to you."

"You need only ask. No creeping around in the shadows required."

Aria raised her eyebrows in surprise; he smirked. The expression held her eyes on his face for another long moment, and she could not help but notice how he had grown. Gone was the entitled youth she had spent her early years protecting. In his place sat a confident man with fine lines on his face that came only with wisdom and experience. He had suffered, and it showed. Soft curves had been replaced with sharper angles, and Aria's few remaining feelings of condescension slipped away.

"You're here alone?" he asked, breaking the new silence. Her gaze broke away, retreating to the large window.

"This is not exactly his scene."

"Not enough coffins? It could have been arranged..."

Aria laughed. "Possibly. Or, it could be that he is not easily fooled by your 'goodwill gestures.'"

"Oh? And you are? Or is this the beginning of another great quest to bring down the company? At least you dressed up for the occasion."

"No, nothing like that. Yet."

He smiled. "You know, we still talk about you. The newer recruits know you as a traitor, naturally. Your name has a stigma similar to Sephiroth's. I've wondered how that would make you feel. Proud? Ashamed? I couldn't figure it out... I never knew where you placed your loyalty."

"Oh, I am a flurry of emotion," she said flatly. He grinned again.

"Either way, I'm glad you came. I hope I am correct in assuming this means you are leaving the past in the past."

Her eyes fell as she assessed the score. She had lost her family, and temporarily her reputation in Cosmo. She had been shot more than she could remember, resulting in Shinra scientists using her body for a prototype prosthetic. Her friends had hunted her across the globe, complicating her mission exponentially. In return, he had lost nearly thirty Shinra employees during the construction of Edge, and lost the last of his precious Jenova specimen in the Remnants' attack. She knew she was on the losing end of their mutually-damaging relationship. She also knew how much worse it could have been. A deep breath convinced her to agree: They had to move forward.

"Of course."

He nodded once, pleased with her decision. "So, is this a strictly-social visit, or...?"

"Do I want something?" she completed the thought.

"I am an exquisite conversationalist, but I doubted you would sneak all the way up here to hear my thoughts on ecologically sensitive energy or the political ramifications of Midgar's destruction."

"No and no. Although, since you bring up Midgar..."

His eyes hardened. The dead city had housed his entire former life, and he hardly seemed ready to revisit the pain of losing it. She pressed on.

"I was wondering what you knew about the happenings around HQ."

"The disappearances," he surmised. She nodded, and he sighed. "I know little, and care about as much."

"Forty people are missing. That doesn't alarm you?"

He tilted his head and locked eyes with her, trying to determine her angle.

"I'm in the middle of rebuilding an empire, Penelope."

She swallowed at the name. He tensed momentarily, then rolled his eyes and continued past it.

"I don't have time to personally investigate every fool that goes missing in a ruined city. Common sense should have kept them away. The world may be better off without idiots like that."

"What about the screams? The howls people are hearing from outside the city limits?"

"You've set foot outside the limits. You know what monsters prowl those fields. There is little to stop them from entering the condemned zone, wouldn't you agree?"

Aria leaned back on the sofa, growing frustrated with Rufus's ability to deflect her concerns.

"Okay. You've either thought about this already, or you're refusing to think about it at all. So, tell me, what if something is going on out there? At what point are you willing to get involved?"

"You mean at what point is my checkbook willing to get involved?"

Her canines shone in a wide smirk before she continued. "Maybe. I don't know what kind of training you've been doing."

He nodded in understanding and smoothly pushed himself from his seat. She watched him cross the space to the large window and noticed that he made no sound in his movement.

"I have a duty to protect my citizens," he explained, watching his guests dance and mingle below. "Which is why I allow the WRO to continue growing, despite the reputation they are developing..."

Aria leaned forward. "What reputation?"

"People seem to believe they could become a dominant government, that they will soon replace Shinra Inc. as the politico-economic leaders."

"Oh?" she pressed, intrigued, and wondering if Vincent knew of this rumor.

"They are a growing army, yes. As far as taking over for Shinra," he paused and turned back to face Aria, his eyebrow arched condescendingly. "That will never happen."

"Your new SOLDIER?"

He scoffed. "Hardly. Volunteers."

"Ah. Can't get away with all those Mako hijinks on Reeve's new friends," she surmised.

He narrowed his eyes at her disapprovingly. Then, in a rare flash of humor, he quipped, "Give me time."

Despite herself, she laughed, inexplicably happy to have felt the tension between them drain away. For a moment, she felt five years younger, but could not see herself protecting him from the harshness of his world. The service was no longer required.

"You're missing a hell of a party," he noted, glancing once more over his shoulder before returning to his chair.

"You're one to talk. Isn't this whole thing in your name? Your guests are salivating over the chance to kiss your shoes. It's disgusting."

"They gather in my name, but couldn't care less if I showed up. They just want to get together and talk about each other. They come here to buy their plots in heaven with a thousand-gil donation to 'Insert-Generic-Benevolent-Cause-Here.'"

Satisfied with her intel gathering, Aria smiled darkly and stood. As she turned toward the door, she looked back over her shoulder one last time. He had remained seated, allowing her to leave when she pleased.

"Jaded looks good on you, Rufus."

"Nice to see you, too."

As she approached the door, it opened before her. The guards she had eluded earlier entered and froze upon coming face-to-face with her.

"Is that...?" the taller man croaked under his breath. To Rufus's amusement, she leaned forward, coming inches from his face.

"Boo."

They simultaneously drew their guns, aiming for her temples.

"Cruz, Harper, knock it off," Rufus commanded.

As the two men lowered their weapons, Aria stepped through the door, raising her right hand in a departing wave.


	4. Thievery

The trip to Nibel had proved fruitless. As he crossed back into the limits of Edge, Vincent's chest felt no lighter. Staring into Lucrecia's motionless face had not provided any clarity for his clouded mind. The only parting gift he had received was the damp smell of the cave settled into his hair.

The apartment was dark and silent as he closed the door behind him, dropping his keys on a silver hook. He pressed a white switch and a table lamp illuminated the empty living room, into which he did not even glance before turning for the bedroom. Dim light poured into the normally-tidy room, illuminating the chaos of feminine preparation for a formal evening. Empty packaging for pantyhose and gel high heel liners littered the dresser top. Aria's black garment bag lay strewn across the bed. The sight of it caused his head to ache in regret. As he relocated the bag to the closet, he shook off the feeling, reminding himself how little he belonged in the present version of her past life.

.

"You'd better slow down," a velvety voice chided into Reno's ear. He turned from the bar, fresh drink in hand, and met Aria with his signature cocky grin.

"Mother, may I?" he pleaded sarcastically, raising the glass to her. She arched her eyebrow and pulled the drink from his hand before he could down its contents. Unfazed, he pivoted back to the bartender, who had already begun preparing a replacement.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Socializing. Surprised?"

"Relieved. You didn't seem to be enjoying yourself at dinner."

"You weren't riveted by your tablemates, apparently. Watching me so closely…" she teased.

"As the most interesting person in the room, I find these things happen often. You making a fashionably early exit?"

She swallowed the bittersweet cocktail and replaced the glass on the bartop. "I hate to overstay my welcome."

"Is that possible? It's an open bar. I've never felt more welcome."

"Too bad. You're coming with me."

"That's alright. You take it. I can get another car."

She hooked her arm into his elbow and leaned into his slender frame. Coolly surveying the room from his side, she tilted her head toward his ear. "It's not your car I want."

Her voice had an edge to it that promised devious behavior.

"What did you have in mind?" he replied huskily, enjoying the game already.

"Maybe a little breaking and entering...Gaining access to places I normally can't as a...civilian."

"That Everyman status really gets in the way, doesn't it?" he slurred, shifting his weight into her leaning shoulder.

"We're all dressed up...We might as well get in a little trouble."

Taking his silence for consent, she stepped away toward the coat check. He stumbled at the loss of counterweight and finished his drink from behind a laugh.

Aria settled into the leather seat in the back of the black town car Reno had requested for the evening.

"Where to?" the driver asked cordially.

"Shinra Headquarters," she answered, expecting the gaze that now fell upon her face.

"Say again?" Reno quipped. She smiled easily, placing her hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"I just want to see it. I haven't been inside yet, you know."

"Bullshit."

"Headquarters, please," Aria repeated to the driver. He nodded and raised the partition behind his seat.

"Didn't realize you were aiming for getting me fired. I thought you wanted to go to the theater, or the new museum. Something a little more...innocent."

"My intentions are good, and you're the only person that can help me."

Reno slid down in the seat, stretching his legs into the open floor, then dropped his head into her lap.

"You've caught the enigmatic disposition! I'm next!" he cried, mocking her ability to talk in circles.

He sighed, closing his eyes for the ride to come. "I'm watching you. Like a...n eagle."

"Hawk."

"Fucking 'bird of prey.'"

Half an hour later, the pair stared up at the new Shinra tower, only half as tall as its predecessor, but covering twice as much ground. Aria led the way to the front doors, stopping for Reno to catch up only upon finding them locked. He drew out each step for as long as possible, ignoring her dramatic eye roll as he pulled a white key card from his wallet. A leisurely swipe through a red-lit slider pulled the doors apart.

"Security seems lax…" Aria commented, noting the absence of guards in the lobby.

"There's nothing here. Nothing to protect, really."

"You think so lowly of your company," she teased, pausing at a glass-covered map in the lobby to learn the floor plan of the building.

"What, exactly, are you looking for here? I can probably get you in and out of this sterile ass building far quicker than that map."

A brief pause gave her the strength to answer. "Science department."

"Oh, god. What? What the fuck?"

His disinterest elicited a smile, and she finally faced him.

"Records. Remember all that shit we had pulled from the SOLDIER lab just as you moved up?"

"You're digging through Project S?" he surmised. "Why? It's...over now."

"No. Not S. G."

"G? What does _that_ have to do with anything? It failed _years_ ago. I had just started when that went down."

"I know. I'm just curious. Where are all those old files?"

He sighed and started walking toward a long corridor. She followed closely behind. A quick elevator trip brought them to the 23rd floor, where a lab stood only half-finished.

"It's not even finished, and it's eerie as hell," Aria muttered, staring out into the quiet, dusty work zone. In crossing through the dim, silent construction site, Reno's foot caught an extension cord, pulling down a work lamp and its tripod. Both bodies froze in the clatter, aqua eyes staring boldly into violet, waiting for a repercussion that did not come. As the metal rim to the light spiraled to a halt on the floor, the room filled with laughter both intoxicated and intoxicating.

A few steps past the lab, Reno opened a thick door to a finished library, filled with cardboard boxes not yet unpacked. Aria took a moment to stare into the piles of disorganized files and boxes, and could not help but laugh at the hopelessness of her task. Meanwhile, Reno leaned down to read the side of a box.

"Gongaga Botanical Study from fifteen years ago...sound interesting?"

"Not particularly."

"Good." With that, he picked up the box by its corner and dumped its contents into a pile on the floor. Aria covered her mouth to suppress her amused surprise.

"Fucking construction workers, no respect for science," he grumbled, dumping the last file folder and handing the empty box to Aria. "Shop," he commanded.

She laughed and took the box as he lowered himself to the floor.

.

It was only as he had begun to close the bedroom door for the night that keys scraped against the lock of the main entryway. Vincent leaned into the living room and arched an eyebrow upon hearing two sets of hushed laughter from outside the apartment. He leaned against the bedroom door frame, waiting for unstable hands to claw their way inside. After a string of muffled curses, the lock finally turned, the door swinging open under more weight than necessary. Aria fell into the apartment, gripping the doorknob to keep from falling and nearly dropping the cardboard box balancing on her arm, while Reno laughed hysterically behind her, black high heels dangling from his fingers. Upon seeing Vincent across the dim apartment, both stood up straight and lost their smiles momentarily. His silence only inspired more laughter, though, and they cracked together, realizing their struggle to enter the apartment had been observed.

"You decided to come home," Aria noted, taking her shoes from Reno and hanging her jacket on a hook near the door.

"How was the gala?" Vincent asked. Reno dropped his shoulder into the doorframe, mimicking his posture.

"Just dazzling, as expected. Edible food, drinkable drinks, music, dancing, and more money than you can spend in a week-long bender at the Honey Bee," the Turk spouted without missing a beat. "And a little thievery," he added. "'Cause we're fuckin' fancy." Aria shrugged in agreement after dropping the box on the kitchen table, then faced her makeshift date.

"Goodnight, Reno. Please hydrate before you pass out."

"I do not 'pass out.' I take controlled falls into oblivion. See you next weekend? The opening day is weak, but you'll love the fire dancing. It's intended for us night people."

"I'll think about. Go home. Take your controlled fall."

He saluted her command, then waved lazily to Vincent before slipping back out into the hallway and closing the door behind him.

"He's always been that charming?" Vincent asked sarcastically. Aria grinned.

"Just add liquor. Or don't, for that matter." She dropped her shoes beside the door and crossed the distance to Vincent. "Must have been a hell of a walk you took today," she said probingly.

"More of a ride, I suppose. I'm sorry I was not here to see you off. You're stunning."

One corner of her mouth rose in a half-smile. "You should have seen me before Reno got a hold of me." Her brow furrowed in distaste of her own phrasing, and when she shook her head at herself, Vincent exhaled a low laugh.

"You're tired."

"Among other things."

He nodded, then tilted his head toward the bedroom. She followed the silent order and slinked into the room, letting herself fall onto the bed before she even bothered to take off her dress. Vincent glanced at the box on the kitchen table before slipping into the room behind her. He lay beside her, horizontally on the bed.

"Were you able to talk to...anyone?"

She chewed on her lower lip as she recalled the civility with which Rufus had entertained her, before sighing, "I was. Head honcho, in fact." Vincent raised his eyebrows, impressed with her feat. "He knows about the disappearances. I didn't tell him what we saw."

"He didn't notice?" Vincent asked, referring to the fading gray marks on her neck.

"He has a gift for not noticing. It doesn't matter. We can get around him pretty easily. He's allowed Reeve to maintain the WRO on his own, and as of right now, that is only military force in Edge. So. If we want to get into HQ, Rufus is not our man."

"Reeve is," Vincent completed. She nodded as he went on. "I have yet to get through to him."

"And you're hardly the voicemail-leaving type."

He shrugged slightly, accepting the accurate criticism.

"What is happening next weekend? Reno seemed rather excited."

She rolled her eyes. "Kalm has a festival similar to the Cosmo's Harvest. Milder, by far, but he seems to like it."

"Will you go?"

She turned her head to look boldly into the questioning red eyes. "I hope to be attending to more pressing matters."

He nodded once, acknowledging that the ball was in his court. Reeve was his contact, and a connection needed to be made.

Fate had eavesdropped on the post-gala conversation. When Vincent awoke the next morning, the cellphone that Reeve had forced into his possession was glowing on the kitchen counter. He refused to keep the device in the bedroom for just this reason.

_Got an interesting call from the President this morning. We need to talk. Out of town until Friday-call you then._

Black eyebrows flashed upward as he interpreted the message. Aria had made an impression.


End file.
